.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
Mumbai, 1st June 2026: The powerful words of wisdom shared by revered Swami Vivekananda in 1897, have inspired India’s very own content and technology powerhouse, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) to take definitive steps forward in uplifting football as a National sport and inspiring the youth of our Nation.
The Company recognizes that seven decades ago, football was the pride of the Country with the Indian team ranking 4th at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Notably, Indian football team last qualified for the Olympics in 1960. As a responsible Indian entertainment company, ‘Z’ is reigniting the spark to nurture the sport and motivate the youth to bring the lost glory back to our Nation, by enabling access to key football action across every household across the country.
In line with its strategic approach to establish a strong presence across highpotential segments and invest in the future, ‘Z’ has cemented its position as a strong consumer-centric player in the multi-platform sports ecosystem. The Company has emerged as one of the most powerful sports destination for the youth of our Nation by partnering with Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to bring the world’s biggest football properties – FIFA World Cup 2026™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™ editions, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2027, along with other key FIFA events up to 2034 and docu-series content, for the Indian market.
In line with its efforts to consistently enhance the capabilities of its Human Capital, Bavesh Janavlekar, who has successfully managed the Marathi movies cluster (linear and studio business) of the Company, will assume additional charge as Chief Business Officer of Unite8 Sports channels. Bavesh will leverage his deep understanding of the business and strong strategic vision to drive the next phase of expansion in the Company’s sports business.
Delivering the best of football to fans
Leveraging its inherent consumer-centric approach, the Company promises to bring the world’s most premium football spectacle to billions of fans across the Country.‘Z’ and FIFA will jointly play a meaningful role in accelerating the growth of this sport and inspiring the youth of India. In addition to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ that kicks-off on 11th June 2026, ‘Z’ will also be the ultimate destination for the iconic tournament’s centenary year in 2030.
‘Z’ will be the home of football, airing major FIFA events, including the FIFA Men’s U-17 World Cup™ (2026-2034), FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup™ (2026-2034), FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup™ (2027, 2029, 2031 and 2033), FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™ (2026, 2028, 2030, 2032 and 2034), FIFA Futsal Men’s World Cup™ (2028 and 2032), FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup™ (2029 and 2033), FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (2027) and FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ (2026-2030), in addition to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and FIFA World Cup 2030™.
Offering a well-curated mix of LIVE sporting action and engaging content, the Company has also secured the rights for docu-series on all the above-mentioned tournaments that uncover the grassroot communities, cultural dimensions and competitive spirit of the participating global nations. The holistic content offering creates a compelling value proposition for consumers, further enabling the Company to garner a significant share of the Attention Economy by driving engagement on its linear and digital platforms with consumer cohorts across markets.
Re-igniting a sporting legacy for the Nation
In line with the precious words of Swami Vivekananda, the Company is taking all the required efforts to motivate the Indian youth to embrace the sport. The strategic investment by the Company further reflects a long-term commitment to build a robust sports portfolio, anchored in value-accretive marquee global properties and scalable audience engagement.
In order to ensure an engaging and unmatched viewing experience for sports fans across the Nation, the Company has also announced the launch of 4 dedicated sports channels namely, Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD. The investment will enable a multi-fold advantage to FIFA’s flagship global properties, ensuring that the matches not only reach across the length, but also the depth of the Nation. The Company’s digital entertainment platform – Zee 5, will also ensure that football aficionados stay tuned to all the high-octane action, delivering a LIVE immersive viewing experience in a language of their choice. The Company’s integrated TV and Digital ecosystem will offer extensive reach, multi-language experience and real time engagement for fans across platforms, creating a compelling proposition for brands and viewers alike. The partnership with FIFA further enables the Company to unlock the immense untapped potential of a global sport like football in India and amplify sports as a powerful driver of youth engagement, shaping National pride by uniting billions of fans across the Nation. The Company remains certain that the concerted action being taken for the sport will result in India regaining its glory once again on global stages like Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
Commenting on the strategic partnership, Punit Goenka, CEO, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “We are excited to bring one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to Indian audiences. Football cuts across regions and demographics, and the investments in garnering the media rights and launching dedicated sports channels, reflect our clear belief in its long-term potential. Our approach has been to invest in properties where we see current relevance and future growth potential. Our partnership with FIFA will enable us to unlock the true value of the sport in line with our sharp focus on growth and profitability, while amplifying the excitement of the game for every fan.”
Speaking about the partnership in India, Romy Gai, FIFA Chief Business Officer stated, “The FIFA World Cup is the greatest show on earth, and we are glad to partner with ‘Z’ for the first time, to bring this global spectacle to India. The Indian market is of strategic importance for FIFA as it displays immense potential driven by a young and passionate audience. We believe the extensive broadcast and digital distribution ecosystem of ‘Z’ coupled with their deep understanding of
local viewers and multi-platform capabilities will play a pivotal role in expanding the reach of football with fans across every part of India.”
Unlocking long-term business value
The Company remains committed towards creating scalable, high-engagement sports properties with a fiscally prudent lens to further fortify its presence in the Indian entertainment landscape. The partnership with FIFA for the key global sporting events will enable the Company to derive strategic long-term benefits that encompass:
Speaking about the strategic rationale behind the investment, Mukund Galgali, Deputy CEO & Chief Financial Officer, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “The partnership with FIFA marks a significant step in our journey to create a strong foundation in the sports ecosystem to drive long-term value creation. Football as a sport has tremendous under-leveraged potential in a country like India and we see a massive opportunity in unlocking its mass appeal for billions of viewers across the Nation. Our approach in the sports business is anchored in building a scalable and financially sustainable growth model through a disciplined capital allocation framework. We view sports as a powerful catalyst to unlock long-term economic and social value by translating the growing passion for sports to contribute meaningfully towards the Nation’s aspirations.”
Powering the next phase of brand engagement
The Company is actively building the future of sports by enabling access to premium global events on a National scale and inspiring the next generation of talent to contribute meaningfully towards the growth of the sports economy. With a robust portfolio of properties on Unite8 Sports channels across football, cricket, kabaddi, among others, the Company has emerged as a strong and diversified player in the sports ecosystem.
The robust sports portfolio of the Company provides a unique opportunity for brands and marketers to power the next phase of brand engagement by participating in a Nation-building story encompassing global, national and regional-level sporting events. The brands will garner access across the full spectrum of sporting action, right from the pre-game stage to post-match engagement.
Speaking about the potential that can be unlocked, Sandeep Mehrotra, Chief Operating Officer – Advertisement Revenue, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. said, “As we strengthen our presence in the sports ecosystem, we are equally focused on building a high-value advertising environment that delivers scale and depth of engagement. Our diversified sports and entertainment portfolio provides brands an opportunity to tap into varied consumer cohorts and leverage the full spectrum of live sporting moments and meaningful content formats. With our structured efforts, we are unlocking a new monetization avenue, while participating in the larger growth story of sports in India.”
The Company believes that the collaborative initiatives undertaken with brands will further contribute towards building sports including football, as a wellestablished ecosystem for the Indian youth in line with Swami Vivekananda’s inspiring words.
With its calibrated and strategic investments, the Company continues to play a transformative role in elevating football as a furthermore accessible and relatable sport for the youth of our Nation. Across its business approach, the Company has always kept the entertainment need and preferences of the consumers paramount, and every decision remains guided by its rich value system that nurtures a legacy of three decades.
Recognising the power of sport as a unifying force and a catalyst for youth empowerment, the Company remains committed to build a vibrant sporting culture that fuels passion and purpose. The Company is swiftly moving forward with a spirit that reflects the timeless words of Swami Vivekananda to “Arise, awake, and stop not till the GOAL is reached.”
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (‘Z’) is a leading Content and Technology powerhouse, seamlessly blending its rich legacy with pioneering innovation to deliver cutting-edge entertainment experiences. With a presence in over 190 countries and a reach of over 1.4 billion people across the globe, ‘Z’ brings diverse stories to life through linear television, digital platforms, movies and music across languages. As a truly Indian brand with a global footprint, ‘Z’ remains committed towards enriching the lives of people around the world by creating extraordinary moments which celebrate the power of optimism and togetherness.